4 Athletes Not Allowed to Take Part in the Olympics Due to High Testosterone Levels
World Athletics introduced new rules that saw a few champions being barred from the Olympic games. In a comprehensive article, Briefly News takes a look at four African athletes who could not compete in the Tokyo Olympics due to their testosterone levels.
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In 2018, World Athletics adopted hormone restrictions that prohibit intersex athletes from competing in international competitions such as the Olympic Games.
Intersex women, who naturally have greater testosterone levels than non-intersex women on average, are barred from participation in any running event between 400 metres and a mile unless they take medication or have surgery.
Briefly News takes a look at four athletes who were not allowed to compete in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Source: Getty Images
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1. Caster Semenya
Caster Semenya is a two-time Olympic double 800-metre gold medallist. Due to World Athletics regulations, she was forbidden from competing in international championships in her favourite event in 2018. She is currently in a legal battle with World Athletics to have this overturned.
2. Margaret Wambui
Margaret Wambui, a Kenyan Olympic bronze winner, competed in the 800-metre event alongside Semenya in 2016. Due to excessive testosterone levels, she was also forbidden from competing in her favoured race.
She suggested that World Athletics comes up with a new category to include intersex people, according to Insider.
3. Francine Niyonsaba
In the 2016 Olympics, silver medallist Francine Niyonsaba competed alongside Wambui and Semenya. Niyonsaba qualified for the 2021 Olympics by running the 10 000-metre event, in which she is ranked 63rd in the world.
4. Aminatou Seyni
Aminatou Seyni, a Nigerian runner, set the fifth-fastest time in the world for the 400-metre sprint in 2019, making her a contender to watch ahead of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
However, according to Reuters, the runner was concerned that she would be unable to race in her favoured event to qualify for the Olympics due to World Athletics' hormone requirements.
Caster Semenya is welcoming a 2nd addition to her family
Briefly News previously reported that Caster Semenya is a proud parent and is getting ready to welcome another addition to her family. Sharing a sweet picture online, Cassper let all her followers know that motherhood was coming to her once again. She captioned the post:
"Ten little fingers, ten little toes. With love and grace, our family grows. This precious soul that God decided to bless us with. We all can’t wait to meet YOU!"
Caster is already a parent to a sweet little girl and can't wait to meet the new baby that's on the way. In the snap, it's clear that Violet Raseboya is expecting a new bundle of joy because she has a growing belly.
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Source: Briefly News
